.!e Rice Belt Journal.
3'IjLIS!ID) EVERY l' )RA\
:v th, \1 ',h Printing Co ip in , Lt;I
One Dollar a Year Advance
Extra Copies 5 cent
rat, rt: I it the Poatoflc : at Wi al h. La
:". - l lir, ; MattHr.
It. S. G I; ir
llitor' anl Ml;tn~Ia ''.
Ii ,, l ' ' i· t in in tih t'h - t'llu e ofi i
I .i I ' ' i oi , I 'll it r
t rl I ,,L :-h r: }, w nt I o , I' v i l "
' il 'iit I the h i t t inl u nout
S ii ,:e ;ainsth iil 'ni y
,' i'. I'nI , hem now. ihtirefotec
. a. I h, , why ro throw tmln:
i th' way of thitr pronp:
"i r ',':p~s really ha<e nr o rea
S ik l Itrl'r-I w th t, her the
, t'h' ttitt ntlat' ,r or itt'i gray
el, , in ny, or the police juil;.' i fat'"
a' ti ... t nnI , ailhough it isr the police
j' c that is hohlen unto i li h public
it ii, I itpIr ope i conduct of thei' affair.;
r th p: rih. The taxpay 'rs vote I
t , , I issue and empov:ere'l th,
!oi i y it t'xpenil thes' f.nds ju
,',l ifor a sy:tenl of uin rove'
h, . ihe po! re jtir' has I:.
' t rt'trS for the etng n'e'intr, h,'
rn i, II and the contstrut'tilon accord
ii.; l h ,ir own judgment. Thus, ,he
Sii r,, the gravel compa:ny and the
,c'i r a i'rs are responsible to the po
li , Ini , anti no" to he public for th.
f ii lit c Tnduct of the'r unilertak
fi the same way the taxpayer:
h,, I tr t police jury re:ip'ls lie fo
t.i. t, ontmit al ex lendi.ure of th'
it: ,: aud tl:e s itsfactory cinstruc
ti t' ht, ' h h hwa 's.
it: ii from . ;he cantracto:' th.o puhli
r I ,.t h , no g ounds for a kick, ant
iii, to t!c pre ;ent no part, of thn
i on : h:a. le.n acceptedl fromn th
c": ,tr.:t'tors. The fact of th, ma t
it «ork 1.I still pro:tres in on th
i n..·1 Lak * Arthur rota, ove'
Shi.hI tL'e e .i .le controversy center:
it fr,'' 'ieg o the charz .s againw'
t : . 1 ',c; pany, it iSi c.i !e it tha
ti i ,',ca l' Ihey are furnihing wl
hnL o, tt)a l-r cent rock an.! the;
" : i ci'on r t iurnishel, bond as th t
n em "\'l to tlo. At the prts nt the
,p l.,alu woul not furnish she bonw
Srh; iy tild. hut, as the Alexandria
'i''a I 'omp my was the only one
rru:;; a bid that was within the
rt 'ih tf the p rish, anti as the pr c.
o0 a!awl has advanced shnce ,hat
t ;ct c I it I it is reasonable to pre
ittmtc tat company would be please.!
to) thn", up th9 deal, it do(1025 not loo1:
I, I,':lt itd business sense to cut them
ofr tlil some better arrangement ,i
n a :e. According to the eng neer's
s' tement it would bie cheap.:r to add
he tequired percent'ge of washed
g' :tvtI than to buy gravel of the stan
drlr ftist set.
As the matter sands we think the
pai' jur ymen are to be trusted fully
in the conluct of tha road Iuilding,
andI cer. ainly e e will hold them to
Sfull 'actiwnt in the end. They were
e ect,,l Iy the people anti fully em
powtredl to carry out the work, an]
cmns:'t quent!y we cannot see where the
c ls have any direec di' ling with
thIe tuitractors or the engineer.
I' s rnumored that if the police jury
l'i es to comply w'th the retqueost
oI' the "Citizens' Committee," th
mahtr will h' thrown into ,he courts
Sich a move woult be vry good for
thb' IA'*'er9, but would mean the hoid
i,': tip of the work for a long time,
rI e,'int: of the police jury frtm re
s't ii',!. yn and a general mix-up
h, ith wohuld ie disasteful and very
exp!rntive. Why a se;f constituted
cinmittee shou!d take upon thiemselve.
o mtlih liberty we cannot undterstand.
If th, axpayers of the parish wanted
ani invest'ration of the road work
th 'voulndi appeil to the poluee jury
to, a.point an investigating commit
te',. an that committee then would
ha'v so,.' vcstige of au hority.
He's In a Terrible Fix.
Th' iay that writes funny stuff for
the Harrtont Ente prise sa :
"(ir mapho'ette is mlis.ing. W
d','nt krio v wh ath:*r 'it stra'e, awai
or was stolen. Bul t it is gone. Ard
unli it returns or Is, returned we shall
be detpondet. If any o our friend
h'e seen or nmiepoette, they shool
" ,i ul with all possible speed. It's a
s 'rious mat er for one to lose one'.
ephonette."
t'e 1 ould find biq mephonette fo;
Ul' tias. but just at the present we
1, ,re -' attack of glauwoma.
.Let. Oeoug.Do' It"
1• 1
READ THE STORY--SEE THE PICTURES
Mystery of the Double Cross
Beginning Tuesday, July 24tho - Every Tuesday Nlg
Ms-- II 0 US
Io)l>)ekss
4 ANN LI LIk-
Novelized from the Paths Photo Play of the Same Name
£ S,,,, . . C.
FIRST EPISODE
The Lady in No. 7.
Two events, neither of which ho
could for ', ),rk into, thel phlasure t
trip of Peter ll:t' while he was auuuý
ing himself j.unting over Europe in
August, 1)11 -- aIt' \vas the news of his
father's d(luIth. the other the tleclaria
tin of w:tr \ hih set the ,world atire.
The former was a heart-breaking
blow to I'eter, for he and his father
had been ginuiue friends and coin
rades.
The fact that Mr. Hale. Sr., had
been a Inolltitililiia:tire did cot once
enter Peter's thoughts. For mere
money he didl not c;re in the !east.
Immediately en receipt of the! ca
hblegrann unnlutlicir g the sad news I'e
ter secure ! ; l'llt', l t: :, ' :'' ii t e' Ith thlr, n.
For the first few days after leavine i
the Irish ('ha:niecl ,.very ,ne on board
was too busy getting settled to pay
much attentiion to anyone else. but
gradually there seeped through the
first cabin the hint of a mystery
aboard the IIuron. And to ad(l to the
interest in this mnyste.ry it had to do
with a beanutiful but as yet unzseen
young lady who occupied stateroom
No. 7.
"Why," asked the older women who
sat in steau;tnr £hairs and discussed
this bit of gossip with avidity, "should
the lady keep hIrself concealed? Why
did she have her meals served in her
stateroom? \Vhy 'lid she al 'vs wear
a veil?" and so on antd so forth.
It was no wonder that these ques
tions coutnltnictatell thletselves to the
men, who us all the world knows, are
just as curious as women about most
things and Miore ('riiit Ui5s about beauty,
especially whcen etmbodlied in feminin
ity.
The upshot of thl' matter was an an
imated argument of the matter amonag
half a dozen deck friends, among
whom was Pet ,r. Tthe question admit
ted of many interpretations and had
the additional merit of be'otning snore
animated the longer It was discussed.
Finally Ralph ('ruger alipeatlerd to
Hale directly: "Sny, of course you
must have seen her? WVhy. her state
roonm is risht Icross front yours."
This challenge centterrd l all eyes on
Peter. But he shook his head, andi
his sincerity ih,1 ressed Cruger sulli
clently to call forth a proposition
which won instant approval friom all
present: "I'll bet a chunpagne din
ner," said Cruger "that I see this love- r
ly siren face to face before evening."
Mr. Cruger contsidered, and then
mapped out a plan of action which
ran something like this: He would
station himself near IIale's room and
watch for the exit of the strange lady,
and then follow her. What could be
more simple?
Consequently he sought a sheltered
angle of tht' passage, and after a long l
wait was rewnardld by the sudden
opening of the door of No. 7.
From the stateroom there emerged
a cloaked figulre which moved swiftly
toward the upper deck. Mr. Cruger
started in pursuit, lured on by the
flashing vision of a pair of slender
ankles inensed In white silk stockings.
The figure tied just nahetl, tind pro
ceeding rapidly vanIshed behind some
lifeboats anal disnlisaleretl. The disap
pointed y(,oung un looked every
where; his search was in vain. Ha
miliated and disgusted, but undaunted
he again took up his wattch and again
he was rewarded by the vision of the
gare emerging and making for the
apper deck. Thl time he determined
that habe should not escape. He fol
lowed her closely, saw her sink into a
chair on a remote part of the deck,
and, ereeping up behind her so silent
Il that she could not hear him, paused
to aumie a beatific smile, and bend
lag et9ouuly over, hiall brought bl
amen A a w ith6 h -d -
a stifled cry. He was looking into the
grinning features of a negro maid. li0
hacked away almost overcome, and
suýp,porting himself against a ladder,
burst into a fit of laughter.
lie had lost his bet, but he had also
made a discovery.
Meanwhile, Fate was busy in an
,t helr part of the ship-the wireless
operator was stretching himself and
wondering how soon it would be before
the seas were a closed book, when the
clicking of the key announced the be
ginning of a message.
iHe took it down listlessly, for it
b)egan like thousands of other mes
sages, but when he reached the end,
he stared at the written words and
then stared again, for surely here was
a puzzle. lie had heard of the mys
terious lady in No. 7, but here was
something even more mysterious. lie
resolved to deliver the marconigram
in person.
Still wondering he knocked at the
stateroom door and with his eyes on
the message waited till it was opened.
lie then looked up. "A message for
you, sir," and stopped short, for he
was gazing into the bluest eyes he
had ever seen. "Oh, I beg your par
don-this message is for Mr. Peter
Hlale--No. 8-" He saw that he had
mistaken the stateroom No. 7 for the
one across, antl, with a further apology,
he moved off and knocked on the door
opposite.
Peter was dressing for dinner. He
opened the door and the operator de
livered tin' lmessage.
Peter read:
"If you have not as yet received the
sign of the double cross, come at once
upon your arrival in New York to the
llotel Astra and there read your fa
thr's will."
"I thought I'd better deliver it my
self," the operator remarked, "especi
illy as it seemed so queer-that part
about the double cross."
"Well, you know as much about it
as I do," the young man replied. "It's
as much a puzzle to me as it is to
you-thanks all the same."
The operator went back, but he did
not notice as he passed that the door
of No. 7 was slightly ajar and that
the same pair of blue eyes that had
so startled him was looking across
the passage.
Peter read the message and re-read
it-it meant nothing.
The more he puzzled the more he
despaired of finding a solution and
he flung the paper on the table with
a petulance expressive of his per
turbed state of mind.
He argued with masculine brevity
that the best way to forget the whole
affair was to eat, and proceeding on
that theory he started for the dining
I room to partake of the feast provided
by the rash Mr. Cruger.
It is the little things that set the
big ones in motion. If Peter had not
forgotten his handkerchief he might
have landed in New York, still won
dering what the double cross meant-
but he did forget it, and without both
ering to sit down, rushed back to his
stateroom.
As he burst through the door he
came face to face with the most beau- ;
Stful girl it had ever been his good
fortune to see-and. he had seen hun- I
dreds in all the capitals of the world. I
Peter held his breath and gazed-the,
girl was too embarrassed to lift her
eyes.
"I'm sure," he said, with a bow,
"that whatever reason prompted you
to honor me with a visit is a good
reason."
The girl lifted her face. Never had
Peter seen such eyes before. He felt
a peculiar thrill running down his
throat. Undoubtedly shabe was the ideal
of his dreams.
Perhaps some of his admiration was
betrayed in his glance, for the girl
frankly held out the message she had
picked up from the table,.
"You've caught me-you see, I over
Sheard the operator telling about the
double cross, and it sounded so inter
esting. I thought I'd look, for my
self."
"I see," said Peter, who didn't see
at all.
He reached out for the message,
and in doing so took her hand as well.
"And may I ask your name?" asked
the galant young man.
She smiled at him. "You may,"
"And it is?"
"Ah, that would be telling, wouldn't
itr"
"Fair exchange is no robbery," re
plied Peter; "you know mine," and
Swith his free hand he pointed to the
address on the marconigram.
- There was a. twinkle in her eyes as
d she deserted the subjecet to ask a
n question on her own accont.
e "Are we going to hold bands fo
e ever't"
d The question pleased Peter-"Noth
1- ing would suit me better."
a "Will you do me a favor?" she asked
c, and Peter nodded. -
t· "Please plck up my handkerhblef."
d The young man released her hand
i- and stoopedl; in a secon his aptive
a bed eestped.
To
to play an important part in my iffe." to
lie returnedl 1 tthe (lining room won- se
dering whether to tell his less for- st
tun:te frienMls thait without any effort
on his part he had tmet the mysterious ai
lady. th
That matter was taken out of his of
hands, for no sooner was he seating ti
than a frightened woman hugging a ar
pet poodle came stumbling down the be
stairway shouting that terrible warn- TI
ing: "A submarine! A submanrine !" a
It was as though she had shouted ch
"Fire." In a second the scene of
geniality changed to a scene of panic. sh
Men fought like. animals to get on he
deck.
Peter had been borne on with the th
crush when the furious scramble be- sh
gan. Instantly his thoughts turned to fo
the girl in No. 7. Probably she would
be unawtre of the danger. er
Once on deck Peter .found his prog h:
ress more easy, for the mob was bound hr
for the boats and he was bound away pi
from them. Itunning to the rear of th
the ship and thence downstairs he th
danshed along the passage ways, now br
deserted, and arrived breathless at the nr
door of No. 7. He did not knock I:
There was no time for formalities. lie
burst into the room, and trying tc cc
speak calmly, faced the frightened ar
girl. hb
"Submarine," said Peter. "Get or th
those life belts, quick," and he knelt w
(Iown and tore them out from under in
the sofa at the side of the room.
Ianstily fastening them while the cr
negro maid dashed wildly about, ht w
schized the terrified girl's hand and al hi
most dragged her toward the deck. N
Every moment Peter expected tc
feel the Huron buckling, but he dki or
his best to reassure the girl as the) gi
pressed toward the deck. ki
A few minutes earlier their paths ec
would have been clear, but a new comn
plication had arisen in the steerage si
The immigrants had finished dinner
they were dancing; one was playinl s
an accordion, others were clappint C
hands in time with the music. Thi
hands in time with the music. Tb1.
ha
11
sti
pr
" .bC M1 ý I r ~ I~l
She
no
the
Co
8n
hii
sti
lot
men
th
th
I"
" I IbI
"A
all
I la
11
·uru
yIfl
bo
toi
nlf
th
Transformed -Into a M of R uiH
noise U,ve did not reach them, they
did not hear the officers receiving or
ders from the captain to shoot the
first man who tried to get on deck
from the third cabin.
But bad news spreads fast. The
dread cry fell like a bombshell among
the crowded merrymakers and trans
formed them in a second into a mass
of relentless, raging furies.
And Peter, emerging from below
with' the girl whose safety had sud
denly become more precious to him
than hiS life, met the first onrush of
maddened immigrants, who had had
no time to look for life belts. The
law of might was become the law of
right. Thus when one of the unfor
tunates saw Peter's companion
equipped with life belts he made a
wild plunge' and with a snarl started
ito tear them from her slender body.
Peter aimed a careful blow and
caught him on the jaw; he staggered,
rolled to the side of the deck wall and
lay there.
Peter forgot everything save that
the girl might have been hurt by the
rough handling of the furious immi
grant. He turned to support her. She
stood clinging to the iron rail, exhaust
ed and terrified.
"You're'not hurt?" His voice be
trayed the solicitude.he felt.
She managed to smile a little. "Oh,
no. Thank you so much."
"But he's torn your gown." - He
started to take off his coat to wrap
I about lier, when his eyes were caught
p by a strange thing on the fleshy upper
part of her arý. It was distinct-yes,
I there could be no mistake-it was a
1 double croes.
The girl saw his look and realised
In a flash what he had seen. Like
lightingt she clapped her bhand over
the mark. She gazed-at him to
anguish, shrinkinl away.. He caught
I her hand. "Who are you?" he asked.
"What do you know of the double
'croes?
SSh made no ansuer.
I "Tenl me," demanded Peter. "I bve
r $ight td know. What 1aoar anel
ibok~ -,
forgetful that any moment the fateful
torpedo might be launched that wouhtl
send them both to the bottom he
stepped closer to her.
Almost fiercely he put his arms
about her and crushed her to him- -
their lips met-then a wild cry went B
up from the forward deck. The cap- tl
tain had been speaking through a meg
aphone. His shouted phrases werec
borne to them as they stood there. cI
They caught the words "American' N
and "Stars and Stripes," and heard a
cheer. d
The danger was past. A great light d
shone in Peter's eyes. The girl freed
herself. 51
"How can I thank you?" Tie heard a
the words and put out his hand, but o
she slipped away, and before he could a
follow had vanished.
Peter stood as one in a daze. Ev- I b
erywhere about him the passengers,
hysterical now from joy where they a
had been hysterical from fright, were
passing in twos and threes, while in
the fading light the submarine, with r
the flag of Uncle Sam fluttering in the
breeze, moved on her way to the re
newed cheers of those aboard the
Huron.
Peter went to his room, changed his
collar and slipped on another coat,
and then, returning to deck, he walked
back and forth under the stars with
the pieces of the puzzle in his mind
which refused to be placed together
in any satisfactory way.
But if the mystery of the double a
cross eluded his efforts at solution, he d
was sure of one thing, and that was
his love for the beautiful occupant of
No. 7.
Meanwhile he lived over the scene
on deck when one blissful moment the
girl had confessed in that rapturous
kiss that his love for her no more than
equalled hers for him.
But why, he asked himself should
she have run away?
When he stepped into the smoking
saloon on his way to bed he found
Cruger and his other friends gathered 1
v
about one of the card thbles discuss.
Sing among other things the incident
a through which they had just passed.
t The sight of Peter started them off
on another tack.
e "Where in the name of all that's
strange have you been?" asked Cruger.
· "And didn't I see you with an amazing
5 ly beautiful girl in the lately lamented
panic?"
V "If everyone of our submarines can
cause a panic like that," said Peter,
a "I should say it's a good sign."
f "Never 'mind submarines," was Cru
dl ger's reply. "A submarine may be a
e mysterious thing but it i~n't a marker!
f to the mystery on board this boat,
Now, old man, who was the beautiful
u lady?"
a "I wasn't aware," Peter said. °
d "Of course you weren't," interrupt.
ed Karl Blake.
d "Well," continued Cruger, "who was
I, she?"
1 And the chorus took up the ques
tion, "Who was she?"
t Peter was perfectly sincere in his
e answer, "I only wish I knew."
"Was she lady in number seven?"
e asked Cruger.
"Tell, me the name of the lady in
number seven and I'll be able to an
> swer," said Peter.
Peter left them still discussing the
t, mystery of No. 7.
Daylight was streaming in through
e the porthole when Peter opened his
P eyes" There was a shouting outslide
t and the sound of hoisting engines at
r. work. His steward knocked and an.
ý nounced that they were at quarantine,
4 that the Huron would dock in an hour.
Peter leaped from his bed and hur
l ried into his clothes. One thought
e was uppermost in his mind-he must
a find out the name of his mysterioti
a neighbor before she stepped ashore
it or else lose track of her forever.
L The boarding officers were already
e in the dining saloon. Peter wondered
why he could not find the lady when
hae made her declaration; he did not
Swait. to shave, but sprinted forward
` obsed by the Ioinpotac o his
try to evade a group of reporters who
had come down on the revenue cutter
on the lookout for news.
Peter dared not leave the saloon,
much as he longed for a sight of the
familiar skyscrapers and good old
Brooklyn bridge. lie feared to lose
the precious opportunity of seeing the
girl of his heart. But the passengers
came and went, and still there was
no sign of the mysterious lady from
No. 7.
Not till the dining saloon was empty
did Peter start for the purser's oflice.
On the way he met a stewardess. As-.
sinning his most ingratiating air, he
asked if she could tell him the name
of the occupant of stateroom No. 7,
as he had noticed that no name was
given on the passenger list, due no
doubt, to the hurry and confusion in
I booking.
The stewardess looked at him with
a blank eye and assured him that all
such information came from the pur
ser. Peter was minus a tip, but he
realized the logic of her refusal and
made his way to the purser's office.
That official welcomed him kindly, and
P'eter from his manner had every hope
that he was on the right track.
"Oh, by the way," he said nonchal
antly, "who was the man or woman
who had stateroom seven across from
• mine?"
The purser smiled. "That's an.easy
question to answer," he said. "State
room seven was unoccupied-it was
assigned to a Jonathan Jones, but he
didn't show up."
Peter looked at him; he tried to
stare through him, but the purser's
face continued to wear the smiling'
mask of good fellowship, and there is
no way to pick a quarrel with a smile.
So Peter backed out as though satis
fled, but, being his father's son, re
solved to go to the captain as soon as
the boat docked and put the question
to him.
The nearer to her pier the Huron
drew the more agitated Peter became.
He realized that if he were to discover
what he wanted to know he would
have to learn it quickly. He deter
mined before seeing the captain to
stand by the gangway. and watch the
passengers go ashore. This, after all,
was the logical method to pursue, and
he acted accordingýy'3
But as the passengers went ashore"
nodding friendly. good-byes to him, he
saw the line become thinner and thin
ner until only a few were left. He
confessed to 'a feeling of uneasiness,
and when the last passenger barring
himself had left he hurried to his
stateroom, seized his portmanteau,
looked across at No. 7, saw that it was
empty and rushed to the captain.
That individual held out his hand.'
"Mighty nice of you to come up to
the bridge to say good-bye," said he. I
Peter shook his hand and asked with '
the old nonchalance, 'By the way, will
you tell me who occupied number
seven?"
"I certainly will," said the captain.
"I don't know her name, but I qpe her
-on the dock there-she has very
black hair-there "she is, the large
woman." - '.-,
Peter looled and- 'then his'patience
exhausted, he turned to the captain,
"And you are the noblest liar of them
all," he said as he descended and tak
nlag the gangway in half a dozen
bounds marched over to the H ae
tion to wait for a customs inspector. 4
Not once in the course of an hour's
delay did he set eyes on the myste
rious lady who had been his neighbor.
In the meantime he telephoned to
the Hotel Astra, where his father had
kept a suite for years, -and requested
that the family lawyer be summoned.
He wished to wmhste no time to learn
whatever there was to'know about the
mystery of the double cross.
The Hale suite 'was on the second
floor. It overlboked at open. court
banked with slnhrubs and flowers. Pe
ter knocked at the door with a feeling
of sadness.
Mr. Granger opened the door and
did the best he could to make the
homecoming of his client's son as cor
dial as possible.
"Glad to see you," said he, patting
Peter on the shoulder with the free
dom of long acquaintance. "You got
my mnrconigram ?"
"I did," said Peter, pulling of his
gloyes and laying his hat on the ta
ble, "and what in the world it meant
I am here In a hurry to find out."
The old gentleman looked at him
quizzically. "We'll get right down to
that," he said, "but before we do I
want to say a few wordseabout your'
father as a kind of preparation to
Swhat is to follow."
i They both sat. "Smoke if you like,"
said the lawyer, "and while you do
I'll talk. Now, in the trst place, your
I father was a very rich man. He left
Sa good many millions; it isn't neees-,
sary for you to know just yet how'
many, and, of course, he left them all
to you, but oly lin case you do cer-*
Stain things."
. "He made condltlons?" Cried Peter,.
] "My father-"
"He did," said the lawyer.
"What kind of conditionst" saked
the now thoroughly tstonished son. I
"Well, I admit they are a bit odd-
but:Ulst~a ,He always admired you,
hIe knew lo" wduld never be the
wasteful, silly, foolish, rich man's sobl.
.He had seen many such, and he admit
ted to me often that-if he had ever
seen the slightest -evidence of hny ten
deney to worthlessde~ l I, a you he
would have put all his money In trust
and left you only the income" .
Peter sighed. At bleat Ihr. ather
had had faith in .hflm, and that was
somethingl . He reflected- with. t ride'
that he Bi4 petver done :adltig not
to deservre hat faith .
for th, jireent to attend only to the
linal clause. I will reuid it aloud:
"All of my property, real and per.
scenal, tQ my son Peter, contingent
upon his marriage to the woman es.
pecialy trained by me to be his mate.
She is perfect In both mind and body,
and will appear to him of her own volt.
tion and show him on her right arn
just below the shoulder the brand of
a dooble cross, a facsimile of which is
here given."
Peter rose to look over the lwprer's
shoulder-to see the double cross. Is.
sta:ntly into his minrl'- ye there
I '
The Pistol Was Held in the Calm Haid
of a Masked Figure.
flashed the vision of the double cros
he had seen on the arm of the mais.
terious girl in No. 7. Could she.b '
one and the same referred to in his
father's will? Certainly the cross wbt
the same, and was it likely such a
cross would be found on the arm of
any girl save the one destined to be
his wife?
Peter fell into a brown study
"Well," said Mr. Granger entirely mi.
taking the cause of his silence. "D
you agree? I admit it is strange, but
the main thing is whether you are will.
ing to follow the suggestions made by
your father?"
"I certainly do agree," said Peter.
Mr. Granger sighed as though re.
lieved . "That's good; I'm glatdto t
hear it."
"And what would happen If 1 4:
not'agree?" asked Peter, again siBk.
Ing into hin chair and litinglt a
cigarette.
"In,that event your father provide
that his fortune is to go to the me s,
who, does marry the girl descrlbeia.'
'this Will."
"I'll tee nothing like that happeas
said'Peter to himself, as he lit a'i
cigar tti, 'and then he started, for ibt
the shinlng interior of the gold ease.
he caught sight of a face-was hea;;
dreamlpg?, No; some one was ope*n,'
nlag the door to an adjoining room. 3:
The face, flashed back to him' the'
scene'aboard ship. lie leaped to hir
feet 'ih such evident alarm that the l,
lawyer, too, jumped up.
"There, there," shouted Peter, point'
ingto the door; "the girl In numbeF.
seven; the girl of the double cross,"
and he dashed for the door, which had
closed. He put his weight agalinst'it
as he turned the knob. In the short
Smothent between his sight of the .15'
Sterious.glrl and the time of his reeb'
inag. the door the key had been tt1sUe
.and the way barred.
Peter put his shoulder to the 4,
"bDon't break it!" shouted Mr. Gra~l
'but Peter did not htar. The door
Sgan to bulge, Peter had not been at
attKte. for nothing. Gathering Si)
whole weight, he threw himself agalit
it, and nearly fell with it as the 1od'
broke,
WIth i r.mGranger following
behinid he peered Into the roo
one was there-a short flight of t
led' to the court below. Peter das
I down 'and began to peer among
follage, whhlle the lawyer ran iD. lt*
opposite direction.
The young man bent among
Sshrubs--for they seemed to affordt
only .IiOsslble hiding place for t
myIsterlous lady. Suddenly he felt
hand touch his shoulder and, ttrmlij
quickly, found himself looking Into t
barrel of a revolver.
SGreat nas was his surprise, he
still further astonished to see that
pistol. was held In the calm hand of
masked figure whose eyes were
I above the black strip of cloth that
the lower part of the face.
Peter immediately thought he
the victim of a bold-up, but the
ily. spoken words of the
,stranger dlsabuod him,.
He had no time to ask w
wheriefre .
The. slender stranger who I
scarcely iWore than a boy was
Ing. Peter listened, aghast: ...
"In force she will best you
time; in ounninig she will beat
every time; in oirsthing alone cat
equal her-yopr -fith In her love.
Peter started to argue but ;
steady eye and the steadler
showed him that questions woul'
uselete, Ie was beaten. For the
ond Vne the mysterious lady of
doutcivefes had escaped him.
Mereover, the masked stranger
ed ib fi, . nt ttatilon to the
ftla. His mlnd in a turmoIl.'
made his way back to the
Friend or foe--whbch? was the
'which kept echoing in the back
brain and over all came the vi
the lovely facq n4 the bare
wiWth tbe myaterious double:
rhtlch h m ow asumed such
behaa ow 11i lfe
~cac 'bqb...